9 July 2013

The Pain Game: 5-year analysis (2008/09 - 2012/13) - Part II

This is
the second of what will undoubtedly be a brief series of data dumps and
inconclusive-yet-attractive charts aggregated over the last five (four
and a bit...) NHL regular
seasons, updated to include the bit that was the 2013 bit of a season.

Analyses
of individual seasons (including explanations of the CHIP figures and their
limitations) plus my previous aggregate analysis (aggreganalysis?) are
at the following links:

Firstly,
an updated ranking of teams by aggregate CHIP over the last five
seasons (playoff teams highlighted; click to enlarge image):

Again, no obvious strong correlation between playoff qualification and the degree and
quantity of injuries/illnesses suffered (see Part I for a more detailed representation of this). Clearly still some quite wide differences in aggregate CHIP and MGL between top and bottom over the whole period.

As touched on in my end of season analysis, no great evidence to suggest that the incidence of injuries in the compressed season was greater than in previous years and the aggregate league CHIP figure as a proportion of the pro-rated cap was actually marginally the lowest of the five year sample.

The same figures grouped by division:

As was notable last year, the Pacific still appears to have suffered significantly fewer and less costly injuries (the four teams at the bottom of the aggregate CHIP table are all Pacific teams), the gap widening further since last year. Just attributable to random variation over a relatively short period or a sign of better injury management or prevention by those teams (despite the complaining about travel schedules)?